Chapter 257

Words : 2080 Updated : Oct 9th, 2025

Chapter 257 High-ranking heroes tended to look youthful. With their bodies brimming with mana and their synesthetic mindscapes solidifying, their aging process naturally slowed. Therefore, to deduce their true ages, Se-Hoon came up with two main ways: the physical wear and tear caused by battles and training, and unconscious habits that manifested over time. Typically, both signs were evident, but on rare occasions, only the latter was. And of those who only displayed the latter, they were all members of Succession—or to be more precise, individuals who had received the synesthetic mindscape succession procedure. They’ve all inherited the synesthetic mindscape of someone who has lived for decades. There were several ways to perform the procedure, but the result almost always ended up like the woman who stood before him: Raphael. Her body was clearly in its twenties, but the habits she showed suggested someone likely in their fifties or older. Se-Hoon narrowed his eyes. I knew I'd run into one eventually, but I didn't expect it to happen here, of all places. It still wasn’t yet clear whether Raphael was a member of Succession or merely a recipient of the procedure. However, one thing was certain: Watchers were somehow involved in the engagement. Se-Hoon quickly composed himself. “I don’t really want to talk to someone from the Seraphim Guild.” It was somewhat of an aggressive approach for a first meeting, but it made sense given Raphael’s ties to Eun-Ha and the Myers family. And it seemed Raphel thought so too, as she didn’t appear surprised by Se-Hoon’s sharp reply, instead just smiling gently. “There’s no need to worry. I plan to sever all ties with my family after this engagement.” “Will changing your surname really sever those bonds?” “It will.” Leaving no room for interpretation, Raphael stared directly at Se-Hoon. “I acknowledge that our family has become a burden to the Myers household, offering no benefits whatsoever.” “Hmm...” “I also know this marriage was only arranged because they recognized my potential. So, if my family ever becomes a hindrance, I will gladly cut ties with them.” Coming on strong, aren't you? Se-Hoon thought, intrigued. Seeing how bold Raphael was, it didn’t seem like a bluff. Like Aaron, Raphael drew a clear, firm line to ensure Se-Hoon wouldn’t interfere with the engagement. Is Aaron affiliated with Succession too...? Recalling the Myers family’s Selection Ritual which also seemed off, Se-Hoon had his suspicions, but there wasn’t enough evidence to confirm anything. And before he regressed, that was the case too, as no traces were found within the Myers family when an investigation into Watchers was launched. Unless something happens later, no one in the Myers family will have ever turned traitor except for Aria. He particularly remembered that Aaron, now under suspicion, had fought to his death against Demon’s Edge. He, of all people, couldn’t judge them solely based only on the current situation; it didn’t seem fair. For now, I’ll assume Succession has an interest in the Myers. That’s the safest conclusion. And if that speculation was true... then Se-Hoon knew there was only one thing to do. Quickly settling his thoughts, Se-Hoon waved his hand dismissively at Raphael. “Alright. I understand what you're getting at, so you can leave now.” “Then...” “A proper bride knows when to step aside, right?” At the comment, both Raphael and Jake’s eyes widened; however, only Raphael recovered quickly, returning a soft smile. “You’re right. Please continue your conversation in peace.” Having accomplished her goal, Raphael left just as confidently as she had entered, and once the guards in the hallway closed the door behind her, the room fell silent again. “...” Feeling someone’s gaze boring into him as he stared at the closed door, Se-Hoon turned his head. And upon seeing Jake, who looked as if he had been stabbed in the back by a trusted friend, Se-Hoon couldn't help but chuckle. “What's with that face?” “No, I mean... that was just a bluff, right?” Jake asked hopefully, clinging to a final shred of hope. But unfortunately for him, Se-Hoon then matter-of-factly said, “I was being serious.” “...What?” “Given the situation, what choice do you have? Just get married.” “Th-that's...” Sitting back down, Se-Hoon glanced at the deeply shocked Jake. “Or do you want to sever ties with your family too, like Raphael? If that’s what you want, I may be able to help.” “...” “Well? What’s your answer?” Unable to respond, Jake chewed his lips before finally slumping his shoulders.@@@@ “I can’t do that.” “I thought so.” Se-Hoon shrugged, unsurprised. While removing Jake from the Myers family wouldn’t be too difficult, as there were plenty of legal loopholes involving forced arranged marriages and restrictions on external activities that he could exploit, Se-Hoon knew Jake wasn’t the kind of person who would want to hurt his family or cause them trouble. Musing over the thought, Se-Hoon smirked. Aria would’ve blown everything up and walked away without a second thought. Amused by the thought that if one could combine the right traits of the siblings, they’d get a righteous, no-nonsense swordsman, Se-Hoon’s smirk deepened. “I’m sorry.” “What for?” “You're only here because I called you, yet all I've done is ask for help without offering any ideas of my own.” Jake had suddenly apologized because he felt ashamed. He had called for help but couldn’t present any viable options, simply expecting in his heart that Se-Hoon would figure everything out. “Well, forget about that. What are you going to do now?” “I'll think of something before the engagement. If I can’t figure it out by then... I’ll just go through with it, like you said.” If Jake couldn't handle something as simple as his engagement, how could he survive the harsher world beyond it? Determined to find a way to convince the elders of his stubborn family, Jake fell into thought. “By the way, when you called me before...” Hearing Se-Hoon’s voice, Jake, still deep in thought, nodded for him to continue. “Your sister was the one who captured you back, right?” “Yeah, it was her.” “Your family only sending her must mean they trust her a lot.” “Well, with her amount of skills...” “If that’s the plan, don’t you think it would help if you better understood me?” Feeling Aria’s gaze on him, Se-Hoon let out a deep sigh after a silent moment. “Fine. Let’s go.” Heading out together, the two soon found themselves outside the mansion, walking through the neatly maintained garden, bathed in the soft glow of the setting sun, in front of the main entrance. Walking by Aria’s side, Se-Hoon surveyed the area curiously and soon discovered something strange. Was a sword dance performed here? There are signs of sword aura everywhere. Jake’s uncle, Gilbert, apparently left traces of his training all over the garden, but Se-Hoon couldn't figure out why. “This place...” Turning her head to explain, Aria paused upon seeing him staring at the garden, her expression turning into one of surprise. “You can see it too, huh?” Had she noticed how his eyes moved? Unsure of how to respond, Se-Hoon pondered his options, but before he could decide, Aria waved it off. “No, I must’ve been mistaken. Don’t worry about it.” She casually brushed it off as if she had seen nothing, but Se-Hoon quickly realized what she was doing. She’s pretending not to notice. Even though Gilbert’s swordsmanship was exposed—possibly even the family’s secret techniques—she was indifferent. Wondering why, Se-Hoon found her behavior curious. “As you may have heard, my late uncle maintained this garden.” She gently touched the neatly trimmed bushes which, thanks to preservation magic, had not been trampled on or ruined by time. Resuming their walk, Aria ran her hand along the leaves as she strolled through the garden. “I’ve never met him, but, for some reason, looking at this place made me admire him. Because of that, I even trained here instead of in the usual sparring grounds for a while.” Never stopping her feet, Aria’s hand traced over the scattered remnants of Gilbert’s sword aura throughout the entire garden, slowly creating a distinct path. And having been following behind, Se-Hoon soon figured out her actions. Gilbert’s swordsmanship... She's showing me the core principles of her own swordsmanship. Unbeknownst to anyone, Aria had restored and practiced the preserved swordsmanship over several years. And now she was revealing it openly to Se-Hoon. It’s like she’s saying, “If you think you can break it, go ahead and try.” Regardless of whether it was for Jake’s sake or her own curiosity, she definitely welcomed the challenge. “Back then, I found it quite enjoyable, but also a bit disappointing. I wanted others to recognize it too, yet no one ever did.” “...” “Eventually, I got sick of it all, of learning this swordsmanship all alone.” Withdrawing her hand from the bushes, Aria spun around to face Se-Hoon. “So, what do you think?” As if questioning whether Se-Hoon had fully grasped the swordsmanship she’d shown him, Aria waited expectantly. “I’m not a random kid. This isn’t exactly thrilling.” Recognizing that Aria had already mastered Gilbert’s swordsmanship and made it her own, Se-Hoon acknowledged that, to win the upcoming duel, he somehow had to bring Jake up to the same level. Standing with the setting sun behind her, Aria quietly stared at him for a moment before smiling gently. “You and I... I think we’re quite similar.” “That’s a misunderstanding.” “Is it? Well, I’m not sure yet.” Aria slowly approached him, and their eyes locked. “Try not to disappoint me.” Whispering those five words as she walked by, Aria left, leaving Se-Hoon to watch her retreating figure. If we win this duel, my bond with Aria will deepen... but if we fail, we’ll be one step closer to the birth of a new Harbinger of Destruction. The risk seemed high, but it was still something he could reasonably attempt within his abilities. With one more reason to disrupt the engagement, Se-Hoon shifted his gaze back to the garden, marked by Gilbert’s swordsmanship. I’ve got the basics down, but the application is the problem... It didn’t seem impossible, but simultaneously managing both weapon forging and training would be tight. Thinking about what he could do, Se-Hoon soon felt a certain presence come to mind. Since I’m done with all the important tasks... Now was the perfect time. Deciding on the spot, Se-Hoon immediately adjusted the power of Boundaries within him to rouse the Seeker. “Haaahhhh...” From the long sigh, the Seeker clearly felt neglected. Raising an eyebrow at the blatant sulking, Se-Hoon felt the need to ask, “What’s wrong?” “What’s wrong? You only call me for the mundane tasks and exclude me from all of the enjoyable activities.” Baffled by the Seeker’s complaint, Se-Hoon made an incredulous look. “Do you really not know why I did that?” “Huh? I don’t know, why?” “...” Apparently, the Seeker had forgotten that she had once tried to control his brain, or perhaps she simply considered such an incident too trivial to remember. “Wait, are you still upset about that?” However, just as the Seeker was about to continue that line of thought, she trailed off, her tone suddenly shifting to one of interest. “Hold on... is this the Myers family?” “Yes. I was invited to one of their family events.” “Ahh, an engagement. This place hasn’t changed at all, has it?” the Seeker remarked nostalgically. With her power of Omniscience, the Seeker was able to assess their situation by doing a quick scan of their surroundings. However, the fact that the Seeker’s tone became surprisingly familiar upon understanding made Se-Hoon curiously ask, “You sound like you’re quite close with the Myers family.” “Close? Not exactly... it’s more like we had a good working relationship.” “Working relationship? What do you mean by that...?” Unaware of such a collaboration between the Seeker and the Myers family, Se-Hoon inquired for more information. And the answer he got shocked him. “I was the one who helped modify their bloodline.”

Chapter 257

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